


The Firebender’s Affections

by LadyAa



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Pining, Rangshi - Freeform, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:55:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25892458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAa/pseuds/LadyAa
Summary: Rangi’s POV... yearning for Kyoshi starting from before the events of the novels.
Relationships: Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar)
Comments: 63
Kudos: 415





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It was made clear from the beginning of the first novel that Rangi had feelings for Kyoshi long before Kyoshi realized her feelings for Rangi....so I thought I’d have a little fun with it :-))) Enjoy. 
> 
> A lot more Rangshi fics coming your way. I love these two with all my heart.

Rangi adjusted her position on Pengpeng’s saddle as she looked down over Yokoya. They were nearing the end of their journey back home from a successful meeting with Earth Kingdom officials, but none of ‘team avatar’ seemed too thrilled about it. Yun and Jianzhu had spent the entire ride back bickering, Kelsang focused on navigating the flying bison, Hei-ran managed to shut her eyes in annoyance and take a much-needed nap, and Rangi decided to drown out the sound of arguments being thrown back and forth and focus on the view from below. 

As much as she missed the heat and landscaping of the fire nation, she admired the Earth Kingdom from above, especially Yokoya. The rest of the Earth Kingdom seemed to all look relatively similar, but Yokoya was blessed with the cliffs and mountains and hills that most Earth Kingdom citizens didn’t get the luxury of witnessing in their lifetimes. Some of the happiest memories in her life seemed to be in this little coastal town. 

She looked down below as they passed by the entrance to the market, she saw a group of teenagers her age. She examined them closely and noticed one of them was notably taller than the others. _Kyoshi_. She smiled to herself as her heart skipped a beat. She’d missed her during the trip. Seeing the taller girl before her instantly made her mind swell with peace. Her entire life, she longed and lived for the day she’d be able to call someone her friend. Of course, being Yun’s bodyguard and whatnot, it was a given that she’d form a strong bond with the avatar. But what she had with Kyoshi....

Her thoughts were immediately interrupted by one of the other kids earthbending a disc at Kyoshi. It hit her back hard enough for her to lose balance and drop all her groceries as the dust exploded off her body. Rangi furrowed her eyebrows in anger as she gripped tightly on the edges of Pengpeng’s saddle and leaned forward to get a better look at the event that was now behind them. Kyoshi simply got up, dusted off her skirt off, picked up the groceries, and walked away as if nothing had happened. Rangi was fuming. 

Hei-Ran grabbed Rangi by the back of her collar and pulled her back in the Saddle, “You know better than to hang off Pengpeng’s saddle like that, young lady!” The woman snapped at her daughter. 

“But-“ Before Rangi could protest, the market was out of sight. She sighed and shut her eyes in silence as her mother scolded her for the remaining moments of the trip. She’d have to take matters into her own hands. 

***

As Rangi walked down the halls of the mansion to reach the servants quarters, she couldn’t help but think back to all the information she’d recently learned about the mysterious Earth Kingdom girl she’d met a few years back shortly after moving to Yokoya. 

_Rangi found herself looking for the tall girl in her spare time. Kyoshi was the only other teenager who resided at the mansion beside her and Yun. She found herself intrigued and lured in by her presence, constantly wanting to spend time with her, whether it was following her around the mansion or simply bossing her around as she worked._

_She entered the kitchen, one of the places she’d normally run into Kyoshi, but only found Auntie Mui cutting up some vegetables for dinner._

_“Do you happen to know where Kyoshi is? I haven’t seen her all day.” Rangi asked as Auntie Mui looked up at her and tilted her head._

_“Oh, yes. Poor thing. I sent her to bed for the day. She’d been feeling incredibly ill and insisted on working despite her scorching temperature. I had to get Kelsang himself involved for her to finally give in and rest herself.” Auntie Mui went back to cutting the vegetables. “Stubborn little one.” She muttered as Rangi shifted her position._

_“That’s awful that she’d try to work in those conditions.” She grabbed a knife and joined Mui in cutting the large portion of vegetables. “Is she doing better?”_

_“Last time I checked up on her was about an hour ago. She was sleeping soundly like a baby. I’m sure by tomorrow morning she’ll be feeling a lot better, and in the next few days be back in action.” Auntie Mui sighed, “Strong one, she is. She’s been through much worse.”_

_Rangi stopped mid slice and looked up to face Mui. “What do you mean?”_

_Mui realized she’d said too much, “Oh, dear.” She cursed to herself. “It’s nothing. I shouldn’t be spouting on about others’ past struggles.”_

_Rangi softly grabbed Mui’s arm. “Please.”_

_Mui sighed and put the knife down to face Rangi. “She grew up on the streets. Abandoned by her parents and neglected by all the other villagers for years. It wasn’t until Master Kelsang found her and took her under his wing that she was being fed properly and taken care of.” She went back to chopping. “She spent her childhood fighting for survival.”_

_Rangi stood in awe as she put the pieces together. It all made sense. Rangi’s heart dropped at the thought of her close friend suffering for all those years. The delicate, soft, and sweet girl she knew didn’t deserve to go through so much pain, especially at such a young age. “She never told me anything.” Is all Rangi managed to let out._

_“She probably doesn’t want you to know. It’s a touchy subject for her. It’s best if this stays between you and me.” Auntie Mui glanced at Rangi to make sure her final words stuck._

_Rangi nodded as she quietly went back to chopping. Her mind too busy thinking about her friend that Auntie Mui eventually took over and sent Rangi out of the Kitchen._

Rangi cut herself from her thoughts as she could feel the air around her getting warmer. She was getting too worked up about Kyoshi. She took a deep breath and stopped in her tracks. She adjusted her armor before looking up at the door she stood in front of. She was just about to knock as she heard a giggle coming from inside. _Yun._

What was he doing in there? She surely expected him to go sulking on his own after the absolute headache of his argument with Jianzhu earlier in the day. She’d confronted him about the situation as soon as they settled back in and he’d asked her for some time alone. 

Curiosity got the best of her. Without making a sound, she slowly slid open a crease in the door to get a peek of what was going on inside. 

She couldn’t see much from that angle, but as soon as she got a glimpse of inside the room she immediately took a step back. She couldn’t believe it and had to look again. Yun had his head rested in Kyoshi’s lap, and was gazing up at her face as she looked down and maintained eye contact. They both had a soft smile on their lips, and Rangi couldn’t stop the sick feeling from taking over her insides. 

She took a step back again, and this time turned and walked down the hall. For the life of her, she couldn’t explain the sudden feeling of sickness that took over her body. Seeing Yun portraying such closeness with Kyoshi. She was honor-bound to the avatar, she praised him, she looked up to him with nothing but adoration and wonder, yet at the moment, she seemed to be... jealous of him? She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had a duty, this was no time for petty affairs, or whatever these feelings meant. 

***

Rangi was scouting the mansion grounds just before bedtime when she felt a tiny pebble bounce off her topknot. She sharply tilted her head upward and furrowed her brows at the sight. Kyoshi giggling as Yun innocently looked down at her and scratched his head before shrugging. She used her fire bending to propel herself onto the roof and landed right in front of them. “Avatar,” she said in a commanding tone, “It’s time for you to call it a day and get your rest.” 

Yun opened his mouth to protest, but Rangi kept going. “You have a very important meeting in a few days, and a tight schedule filled with imperative lessons and rigorous training tomorrow. I can’t let you slack off. Up.” She tapped her foot. “Now.”

Yun sighed in annoyance and stood up. He looked down at Kyoshi and smiled warmly, “Goodnight, Kyoshi.” He looked back up at Rangi and the warm smile turned into a frown, but then a smirk. “Goodnight, party pooper.” With no elders around, he was free to tease his bodyguard as much as he wanted. 

Rangi’s eyes bulged in anger as Yun chuckled to himself. “I’m kidding.” He playfully slapped her back. “See you in the morning.” He Earthbent himself off the roof and made his way inside, leaving the two girls alone. 

Kyoshi started to get up, “I should probably also g-“ Rangi immediately grabbed her shoulder and sat her back down. “You’re not going anywhere.” 

Kyoshi looked up at her nervously. “Is something.. wrong?” Rangi sighed and plopped down beside her. “I saw what happened to you in the market today. Those kids...they had no right to treat you like that.” She looked at Kyoshi’s face and studied her features. All the emotion in Kyoshi’s eyes suddenly disappeared as she glared ahead at the view.

“Yeah, well... that isn’t stopping them, is it?” She turned to look at Rangi and the emotion entered her eyes again. “Anyways, I’m fine. No need to be concerned.”

Rangi tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows. She hated when Kyoshi did this. She hated the fact that the other woman hid so much from her, and expected to carry the weight of the world on her own. “Kyoshi, that isn’t fair. Of course I’m going to be concerned. Does this happen often?” 

She punched her fist against the palm of her other hand. “I swear I will report it to the others or even take matters into my own ha-“ She was interrupted by Kyoshi softy putting finger over her mouth. Rangi’s eyes widened and cheeks flushed. 

“I told you, it’s fine.” Kyoshi let out a small giggle at Rangi’s current state. “I do appreciate you though.” Rangi rolled her eyes and shoved Kyoshi’s finger away. She didn’t want to leave the subject at that, she was genuinely worried. But the expression in Kyoshi’s face made her heart melt. She would sweep her concerns under the rug for now. 

“You better.” Rangi huffed and placed her head on Kyoshi’s shoulder. She felt the weight of Kyoshi’s head fall onto her own as the fire in her heart erupted with flames. Her cheek pressed up against the green fabric and the tune of the other girls breathing filled her ears. She’d never felt this comfortable with anyone else. She wasn’t sworn to Kyoshi like she was to Yun, but in that moment she vowed to protect her like she very well was. She wouldn’t let Kyoshi go around carrying the weight of the world on her own. She wouldn’t let her spend another day suffering. She wouldn’t let any jerks hurt her like the bullies from the market, as long as she was around. 

***

The long, tedious meetings with Earth kingdom officials had been a success. They offered team avatar a stay in the most luxurious hotel in the city, and Rangi was ordered to leave Yun alone while he had a private meeting with Jianzhu. She had dinner and tea with her mother, and then made her way to her room as she changed into her night robe and sat on the ledge of the window, taking in the view of the Earth Kingdom city. 

The sun had set by now and the view overlooked a sea of lights. Her mind drifted back to Yokoya, and Kyoshi. What would she have been up to today? She couldn’t wait to get back and see her again. Serving the Avatar had thrilled Rangi to the max, but Kyoshi gave her that exact kind of thrill and she couldn’t exactly place why. All she knew was that she couldn’t wait to be in her presence again. Tomorrow couldn’t come sooner.

Rangi heard a noise at the door and got up to open it. She was greeted by Yun doubled over on the floor, her fight instinct immediately kicked in. “Yun! Who hurt you?” 

She put one hand on his shoulder and immediately formed a fire blade with the other one as she looked up and around for the culprit. The sound of his cackling brought her gaze back to him. “Yun?”

He looked up at her and she saw that his face was red and dazed. She looked down at his hands and saw a bottle, almost empty. She discarded her weapon and pinched the bridge of her nose before bending down to his level, slinging his arm over her shoulder, and lifting him up. She looked around to make sure no one witnessed the Avatar making a complete fool of himself, and shut the door behind her. 

She sat him on the bed and snatched the bottle from him. She looked around and thought quickly as she stuffed it in her duffel bag. She came back to him and took off his cloak before standing in front of him. “You lied to me. You didn’t have a meeting with Jianzhu. You went to the nearest bar!” She crossed her arms as he just smiled and let himself fall back on the bed. 

“Shhhhh just relax. I work so hard. I just made a deal that will save thousands and allow for this city and its neighboring cities to prosper. The avatar deserves to take it easy for a while.” Yun slurred.

Rangi angrily took his shoes off and muttered curses to herself. “A wonderful bodyguard I am, can’t even stop the avatar from making a fool of himself!” 

Yun rolled over to his side and played with the fabric of the bed. “You know what you need? To take it easy as well. Why don’t you have the rest of my drink? Or think about Kyoshi or something.” Yun smirked as he opened his eyes to gaze at the shocked expression on her face.

“What?” She sharply spat and immediately stopped what she was doing to focus on him. 

He snickered, “You heard me. I know the way she makes you feel. The same way she makes me feel, I suppose. I see it in your eyes.” 

Rangi’s heart started beating faster and her face heated up. He truly caught her off guard. She was convinced that if an assassin had picked this moment, in particular, to come for the avatar, they might have just been able to pull it off. 

She shook her head and managed to collect herself briefly. “Yun, you’re drunk. You have no idea what you’re talking about.” She got up and blew the lamp out before heading to her own bed across from Yun’s and hiding under the covers.

“Rangi, you’re talking to the avatar, bridge between the two worlds. I know people, and how they work. I’ve never been able to charm you because you clearly have eyes for her.” Rangi didn’t reply, she just stayed in the same position, facing away from him. He was helping her realize a lot of things about herself tonight. 

“Just so you know, I do think you two look cute together,” Yun muttered with a smile before letting himself pass out. Rangi dug herself further under the covers. She wanted to ignore the avatar and never think about any of the words that spilled from his drunken mouth ever again, but her heart ruled against it. She tried her best to sleep before the long ride back to Yokoya on Pengpeng tomorrow, but she barely got the chance to. 

***

Rangi was thankful that Yun had training all day so that she wouldn’t have to deal with him after his revelation last night. She managed to hide his bottle in her room, and she’d find a way to discard it by the evening. Right now, she needed to see Kyoshi. She had spoken to kitchen staff, and apparently, she had been out and about, running errands at the market. This worried Rangi a bit, and she decided to wait at the gate for her. 

After nearly an hour of waiting, her eyes lit up to see Kyoshi appear from the valley that led to the market. Her joy immediately turned to concern when she saw that Kyoshi’s hair was loose and messy, something Kyoshi never allowed for, and as she got closer, she saw that Kyoshi had a busted lip. 

Her blood immediately boiled as she noticed Kyoshi taking the servants' entrance, looking at her feet to make sure no one would pay her any attention. Rangi immediately ran down to her and met her at the door to her room. 

Kyoshi refused to make eye contact as she opened the door. She kept it open as Rangi followed her inside and shut it behind her. “Kyoshi...”

“Rangi, I don’t need this right now,” Kyoshi said sternly as she lifted up her sleeve to look at the dark bruise that began forming on her arm. Rangi was so angry, she felt the small room heating up with her. “You need a healer.”

Kyoshi immediately turned her head to snap at Rangi, “ _No one_ needs to know about this.” 

Rangi shut her eyes in annoyance and took a deep breath. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.” Rangi took one last glance at the other woman as Kyoshi gently touched her wound and winced. She not only left to get supplies but also to cool herself down. She was sure if she stayed for another second she would have had a fit yelling at Kyoshi. 

Rangi came back a few minutes later with a bucket of iced water and a cleaning rag. Kyoshi was now out of her robe and only wearing her undergarments which consisted of a white brassiere that covered her chest and a matching skirt.

Rangi tried her best to hide the heat coming to her cheeks and shut the door behind her. She took a deep break before turning back around. “Sit down.” She walked over to Kyoshi and sat her down on the bed before sitting next to her and dipping the cloth in the bucket of water. 

She started off by rubbing the traces of blood and dirt from her face. They seemed to have taken her down with Earthbending, just like last time. Kyoshi looked down at Rangi like she wanted to cry, like she couldn’t believe the sight in front of her. It broke Rangi’s heart to see her like this. “I hope you know you don’t deserve this.” Is all she managed to muster before gently dabbing her busted bottom lip, careful not to hurt the other girl. She focused on her slightly pursed bottom lip as she was doing so, and felt her body grow warmer as her heartbeat increased. 

Once there were no more traces of blood, she moved to her arm, wrapping up the ice in the rag and holding it steadily onto her freckled skin. Kyoshi’s breath hitched. Rangi absolutely hated seeing her like this. It reminded her back to her days at the academy, having girls pick on her and toss her around. The only difference is, Rangi fought back. Eventually, no one dared to touch her. Only keep their distance, and spread rumors about her from afar. Seeing Kyoshi going through essentially the same thing, angered Rangi to her core. 

“Times like this I wish I was a waterbender.” Rangi broke the silence. “I wish I could do a better job of healing you.” Rangi sighed. 

Kyoshi managed a smile and raised an eyebrow. “You? As a graceful waterbender?”

Rangi’s mouth fell open. “Excuse you, I could totally pull it off.” She let Kyoshi hold onto the ice for a minute as she stood in front of her, imitating the waterbending form as best she could. 

Kyoshi giggled, as Rangi’s heart melted. She was for certain making a complete fool of herself at the moment. But she was making Kyoshi smile, so it would make do. 

She went back over to Kyoshi and took the rag of ice. “I’m going to need you to lay on your front.” Kyoshi nodded and laid on her stomach with her head facing Rangi. Rangi lifted the ice and placed it on her bruised back. She sat next to Kyoshi and focused on the wound before slowly trailing her eyes up the woman’s body and meeting her gaze. Kyoshi was looking up at her, right into her eyes. 

“I’m so grateful to have you.” She mustered. Rangi managed a smile and used the other hand to brush Kyoshi’s fallen strands of hair back out of her face. Rangi lingered in Kyoshi’s gaze and must have lost herself there for a few moments because Kyoshi lifted her hand up and booped Rangi on the nose. Rangi giggled softly and stayed by her side, doing her best to heal her before getting back to work.

***

Later that night, Kyoshi and Rangi decided to cook together. They made sure the kitchen was empty, and Kyoshi brought out all the ingredients and utensils they’d need as Rangi started making one of her favorite Fire Nation dishes she’d been dying to share with Kyoshi. Kyoshi helped best she could, but focused more on cleaning after Rangi as she did her work. 

When they were done, they sat on the counter together enjoying their meal. Rangi looked for approval in Kyoshi’s eyes as she tried the dish, and was met with satisfaction when she saw her eyes light up. “I understand what you were going on and on about now.” Kyoshi managed a smile as she side-eyed Rangi. Rangi’s face lit up with excitement, “One day, I’ll have to make sure you try this in the Fire Nation.” 

They sat and ate together in peace, and when they finished, Kyoshi checked the cabinets for tea to wash down their meal.

“Bummer. I’ll need to get more first thing in the morning.” Kyoshi turned to Rangi. “We’re all out.”

Rangi thought for a moment. She still had Yun’s half-emptied bottle hiding in her room. “You know.. we could go for a different beverage.” 

Kyoshi was confused. “What are you saying?” 

Rangi drifted from away her thoughts and met Kyoshi’s gaze. “Meet me in the garden in 10.” Is all she muttered before leaving Kyoshi in the kitchen and heading to her room. 

***

“Are you sure about this?” Kyoshi asked as they both sat next to each other on the ground, facing the pond that took up the center of the garden. 

Rangi held the bottle and shook its contents, watching the liquid slur around before replying. “I took this off of Yun. He’d downed most of it. There’s barely any left, so I think we could split it and still be fine.” Neither of them had ever tried booze before, but they were both slightly curious and in need of something to wash down their meal. 

“I’ll go first,” Kyoshi muttered as Rangi lifted her gaze from the bottle to the taller woman’s face. She handed her the bottle and brought her knees to her chest as she watched Kyoshi slowly take a swig. 

She watched Kyoshi shut her eyes tightly as she swallowed the drink. Kyoshi gave the bottle back to Rangi. “If I’m being honest, I don’t really get the big fuss.” Kyoshi rested her hands on her knees as she looked ahead at the moon reflecting on the pond. 

Rangi eyed Kyoshi before taking a swig of her own. She made sure to finish the remainder of the bottle. It was strong. She had no idea how Yun managed to down more than half of the bottle on his own. Surely, he had to have shared it with someone. She placed the bottle beside her and faced Kyoshi. 

“Do you feel anything?” She gazed at Kyoshi’s features as the moon reflected upon her freckled face. She looked so beautiful right now. 

“I don’t,” Kyoshi muttered and turned to face Rangi. “Do you?”

Rangi shook her head. “I don’t think so.” 

Kyoshi smiled a welcoming smile as Rangi shifted closer, laying her head on the taller woman’s shoulder. They sat like that for a few minutes before Rangi spoke up. “I‘ve been thinking. I want to give you a few training sessions. To get you to at least be able to stand up to those bullies.” 

Kyoshi let out a breathy giggle. “We hardly have the time.” Kyoshi smiled and looked down at her, “But I appreciate the sentiment.” 

“We have time now.” Rangi lifted her head off of Kyoshi’s shoulder and felt it spin a bit. She sat in place for a few moments catching herself. “Are you okay?” Kyoshi looked at Rangi with concern. 

Rangi nodded and slowly stood up. She looked down at Kyoshi and placed both hands on her hips. “See? Fine. Now let’s get to training.” She shifted into horse stance, but her body didn’t have the balance to do what she wanted it to. She couldn’t control herself as she started to lose balance and fall backward into the pond, but a large hand firmly and quickly grabbed her, pulling her in. 

Rangi’s world started spinning, and she could barely keep her eyes open. She felt herself fall against Kyoshi’s chest as the taller woman wrapped her arms around her, steadying her. Kyoshi must have not been as affected by the booze as she was. Of course she wasn’t, it would take her four times the amount Rangi ingested to get her feeling this way. “Kyoooshi,” she slurred, “I think the drink hit me.” She managed before she felt Kyoshi gently scoop her up off her feet and carry her back inside. 

***

Rangi woke up in a cold sweat. The memories of last night came rushing back to her head as she looked around and noticed she was in her own bed. Her face heated up aggressively as her cheeks turned tomato red upon realizing how she got here. She quickly got dressed and flew out the door in an attempt to find Kyoshi. 

After what felt like a lifetime of searching, she finally found the taller woman in the storage room. Rangi shut the door behind her as she faced her. Kyoshi turned to see Rangi and smiled, but it quickly turned into a frown as she assessed Rangi’s current state. Rangi marched up to Kyoshi and pointed a finger at her chest. “ _No one_ , and I repeat _no one_ will ever find out about last night.” Rangi locked eyes with Kyoshi, as Kyoshi slowly nodded. 

She brought her hand back to her side and gazed at Kyoshi for a few seconds before finally turning around. She stopped at the door. “Did you dispose of the bottle?” She turned her head so her ear was facing Kyoshi. 

“I did, after carrying you to your bed.” Rangi felt the goosebumps form on her skin and butterflies erupt in her stomach as Kyoshi mentioned the act. She thanked the spirits that her face was hidden so Kyoshi wouldn’t witness how flustered she currently was. “Good.” She spat out before leaving and shutting the door behind her. 

She heard a small giggle come from inside, before clenching her jaw and blushing even harder. _Spirits help her_ , she thought as she made her way down the hall to find Yun. Hopefully, her Avatar duties would help distract her from this utter mess. 


	2. Elephant Koi

Rangi laid in bed with the perfect view of the full moon hovering above the mountains of Yokoya. She couldn’t sleep, and it had been the agony of yearning that kept her awake in these nightly hours. The target of her affections slept not too far from her, and that idea in itself was enough to cause a disruption in her righteous Avatar-serving sleep schedule. Rangi got up to rest against the window and slumped her chin into her palm, looking out at the servants quarters to her right, gazing right at the room of the woman who haunted her at night. _Kyoshi_. 

She’d spent countless nights thinking about her while her mind was supposed to be asleep, yet she was just a two-minute walk away. Rangi had constantly entertained the thought of expressing how she felt... but would never actually be able to shed light on these suppressed feelings of hers. Back in the Fire Nation, society was more tolerant on the matter of the kind of feelings Rangi had been dealing with. The Earth Kingdom, on the other hand, was viscously against it. They not only frowned upon it, but the idea of even bringing it up warranted a huge fuss. Rangi didn’t have the time for that kind of headache. She’d even heard of accounts where people were killed because of it, and most only brought it up as some sort of _joking matter_ , a topic that would never be taken seriously. Regardless, she’d seen the way Kyoshi looked at Yun, with hearts in her eyes just like all the other schoolgirls he managed to wrap around his finger with his charms. She knew it would be best to ride these feelings out, since it was already a lost cause. 

She went back to her bed, closed her eyes as well as her heart, and did her best to get sleep before another day of serving the Avatar. 

***

Yun had woken her up, bright and early, with loud and obnoxious knocks on the door. She muttered intangibly into her pillow before lifting her face and groaning out loud. It was their day off, or at least it was supposed to be. “What do you want?” She croaked.

Yun shouted happily through the door, “Meet me in the courtyard in 10. Okay?”

Rangi let her face fall back into her pillow, hoping her silence would make him leave.

“As your Avatar, I-“ Rangi angrily cut him off by shouting loud enough for him to hear. “Today is my day off, _Avatar_!”

Yun instantly replied, “Not on my watch, my noble hotwoman. I have plans for the three of us. We won’t be leaving without you!” Rangi sat up. He was surely referring to Kyoshi. How he managed to snag her out of work? _Well, of course._ He was the Avatar, and this was his estate after all.

“Give me 15.” She grumbled before finally getting up to get ready.

***  
Rangi met with Yun and Kyoshi in the courtyard. Yun beamed at her arrival as Kyoshi shyly smiled at the smaller woman. Yun smugly put his hands on his hips. “Alright ladies, time to follow your avatar.” Rangi rolled her eyes as Kyoshi giggled, and they made their way out of the mansion and down a trail in the woods. Yun lead, Kyoshi in the middle, and Rangi at the end.

Rangi wanted to walk alongside Kyoshi to be able to properly engage in a conversation, but the clumsy woman kept misstepping and almost tumbling into sharp bushes. If Rangi wasn’t behind her to pull her back by her robe or nudge her to the side, the poor girl would have taken enough damage to look like she’d just walked out of battle. 

When they finally arrived at a secluded area near the shore, Yun instantly started taking off his clothes. Kyoshi and Rangi’s faces both immediately heated up. Kyoshi was flushed by the boy showing his usually hidden skin. Rangi, on the other hand, was enraged by its implications. Rangi immediately threw her hands up in front of her face as he stripped to nothing but a small cloth around his crotch area. “What is wrong with you?! Is this what you brought us here for?!” She snapped behind her hands, “I’ve always had a low impression of your romantic affairs but _this_?!” Rangi made a face like she wanted to throw up. 

Yun just laughed as he walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Rangi grimaced at his touch and made sure to keep her distance. “I hate to break it to you, but if I’m going to be sloshing around with anyone like this right now it’s going to be them,” He pointed his thumb behind him as Rangi looked up to see what he was pointing at in the water. _Elephant Koi_.

Rangi’s hands fell to her side as she looked in awe. Three of the giant creatures danced in the water right in front of her. She’d heard of them being around but had never gotten the chance to see one in person. She was always either at the mansion or not in Yokoya at all. Her thoughts were interrupted by Yun running to the water and jumping in. 

“Avatar!” She screamed as she watched him swim further towards them. She turned to Kyoshi, as the taller woman just shrugged. _Of course_ , Rangi thought as she angrily turned back to Yun, _Neutral Jing_. 

When Yun finally made it to the giant fish, he dove under the water. Rangi held her breath and was ready to jump in after him if something went wrong. She was surprised to see one of the Koi emerge from the water with Yun holding on to its fin as he rode the wild creature. He made it look easy. He had a huge grin on his face as he waved at both of them. Rangi let out her breath and managed a small smile. “He really makes me feel like I’m awful at my job sometimes.” Rangi let out. Kyoshi shook her head, “That’s nonsense.” Rangi’s heart grew soft for Kyoshi’s response. Even though Kyoshi never was able to stand up for herself, she cared fiercely for her friends, and never stood for slander towards them. Rangi admired that about her. It felt good to have a bond with someone who took it as intensely as she did.   
They sat down side by side in the sand and watched Yun ride the Elephant Koi together. Minutes of silence had passed and out of nowhere, Rangi had a strange feeling suddenly come over her. _Confidence._ Not in herself, she surely never lacked that. But in her feelings for Kyoshi. These feelings pushed her to take the risk. Her stomach suddenly felt heavy as she turned to Kyoshi. “Kyoshi, I need to tell you something.” Just as Kyoshi locked eyes with her, she was interrupted by the Avatar. 

“What are you guys doing?” Yun shouted as he emerged from the water and walked over to them. “You guys surely aren’t planning on spending the day sitting down? Join me!”

Kyoshi eyed the Elephant Koi then looked back at Yun. “Sitting down doesn’t sound too bad, actually.”

Yun sat down across from Kyoshi in the sand and grabbed her hand as he laced their fingers together. The tall woman immediately blushed as she tried to contain herself. 

Yun tilted his head low and looked up at Kyoshi through his lashes. Rangi knew exactly what he was doing and it made her want to barf. “Trust me, it’s not as hard as it looks.” He let out.

_It looks relatively easy_. Rangi thought. Any confidence she had about telling Kyoshi how she felt had vanished along with Kyoshi’s cool composure upon Yun arriving. In fact, she could use a distraction. “I’ll go,” She sat up and took off the heavy parts of her armor until she was wearing only her undershirt and trousers. 

She turned to face Yun, “I gather you catch them underwater?” Yun nodded, “Dive in, and grab on.” She ran and leaped into the water. 

***

Rangi had mastered it on her first try. She was beaming with delight as she felt the sharp droplets of the ocean spray against her skin. She couldn’t stop herself from laughing as she flew with the fish. She turned and smiled at Yun in the distance, who waved at her with both hands and turned to Kyoshi while pointing at her as if to say, _Look at her! Isn’t she so cool?_

The way Kyoshi was looking at her answered his question. Kyoshi’s face was lit up as she watched her friend ride the fish. A wave of satisfaction washed over Rangi’s body as she realized she’d impressed the girl. 

She continued riding the Elephant Koi and fell into a pattern of holding her breath as the fish dove underwater. She was enjoying this thrill to the max. It had been a while since she’d allowed herself to have fun like this. She turned back to Kyoshi as she thought of another person who deserved to have fun. She saw Yun now sitting right beside the woman and they seemed to be a lot closer than they were when Rangi had left them. Rangi leaped off of the fish and swam back to them. 

“I’m trying to convince her to join us.” Yun let out as he noticed Rangi walking up to them from the water. 

“No thanks,” Kyoshi said. “I prefer to just watch you two ride them from here.”

“Watch us have fun, you mean?” Rangi snapped, “You deserve to have fun too, you know.” The other two were slightly taken aback by her sharpness, especially Kyoshi. Kyoshi looked at her with slightly wide eyes, and didn’t know what to say. 

“She’s right,” Yun broke the silence, and ended the intense staring competition between the two girls. 

Rangi spoke up. “I’ll take care of you out there. You don’t need to be afraid.” 

Yun looked at her, then back at Kyoshi. “Me too. We won’t let anything happen to you.” He put his palm up, "Avatar's word."

Kyoshi heartily looked at her two friends as adoration shown in her eyes. She looked at them as if they were the best things she’d ever laid her eyes upon. “Fine,” She slowly got up and started taking off layers of her clothing until she was only in her undergarments. Rangi tried not to make it obvious as she took in every dip and curve of her form. The way the sunlight reflected on her freckly skin deemed Kyoshi an absolute _masterpiece_. She was too beautiful to be as timid as she is. She should be loved and admired by the entire world. 

Rangi, Yun, and Kyoshi all walked up to the ocean together. Yun wrapped his arms around the other girls’ necks, causing Kyoshi to lean down. “See you ladies in the water!” He shouted before diving in and swimming to the Koi. 

Rangi and Kyoshi swam side by side, following him. Halfway, Kyoshi hesitated. “Are we sure about this?” She let out. “I just don’t think I’m fit to be the type who rides a-”

Rangi had to cut her off. “No turning back now.” She couldn’t bear to hear another word of insecurity come from her friend’s mouth. 

They finally reached where the Koi were and Rangi grabbed Kyoshi’s hand underwater. “You’re going to need to dive in at the same time as me, okay?” Rangi looked at Kyoshi to make sure she understood what needed to be done. “Grab onto the fin, and be sure to hold on tight.” Kyoshi nodded, but still looked unsure. Rangi squeezed her hand. “You’ll have fun. I’ll make sure of it.” She gave her a smile to let her know that she meant it. Kyoshi managed a smile back.

Rangi noticed one of the fish rounding back towards them and immediately turned to Kyoshi. “On three,” 

“W-wait, now?”

“One,”

“Rangi, I-”

“Two,”

“Rangi!”

“Three!”

Rangi dove under, still holding onto Kyoshi’s hand. She made her way to the fin and grabbed on with her free hand. She quickly led Kyoshi in front of her as Kyoshi grabbed onto the fin, and in the next instant, they were both above the water. Rangi watched as Kyoshi’s low ponytail flew in the wind behind her. Rangi could see the corner of her mouth, and the girl was indeed smiling. Kyoshi squealed in delight as she rode on the back of an Elephant Koi, allowing herself to feel a thrill to this level for the first time in her life. It made Rangi happy to see her like this. Especially knowing everything the girl had gone through, it was worth every mound of gold in the world to see her beaming like this right now. 

Rangi kept nudging Kyoshi’s hips on occasion to stop her from losing balance and falling off. _She really needs to improve her stance_ , Rangi thought. They were doing fine until Kyoshi managed to let her foot slip and she tumbled back into Rangi as they both fell into the water together. Rangi braced herself for the fall, and Kyoshi’s weight falling on top of her only made it ten times worse. She reached up to the surface and gasped for air as she tried to regain herself. She was taken aback by Kyoshi swimming over to her and pulling her into her body. “Rangi! I’m so sorry!” She cried, “Are you okay?” Rangi was more disoriented from the closeness of their bodies than she was from the fall. “I-uh,” Kyoshi was holding her up from under her arms. Their chests were pressed against each other and the taller woman’s lips were right in front of her eyes. “Yes,” Rangi cleared her throat. “I’m fine,” Rangi broke the contact and turned to hide her face so Kyoshi wouldn’t see how red she was. 

They swam back to the shore, as Yun joined them moments later. They got dressed and made it back to the mansion in time for lunch. 

***

Rangi was reading a book about spirits in the Fire Nation, and was currently at the section of the Jan Hui River Spirit. She was admiring a drawing of the spirit when she heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” She spoke up loud enough for whoever was there to hear. Kyoshi slid the door open and came in with a tray of hot tea. 

Rangi got up and cleaned off the table so Kyoshi could place the tray down. They both sat across from each other as Kyoshi poured the tea into the cups. “You were right.” Kyoshi smiled after a few minutes of them sipping their tea in silence.

“Hm?” Rangi looked up from her teacup. 

“I had fun today.” Kyoshi smiled warmly. Rangi smiled back and noticed that Kyoshi’s freckles had gotten darker from spending so much time in the sun today. She looked as divine as ever. Sometimes Rangi pondered about the possibility that Kyoshi wasn’t real and was just a figment of her imagination. Surely Rangi couldn’t have been lucky enough to get to live in the same home with someone as gorgeous, kind, and sweet as Kyoshi. She couldn’t believe that she’d spent years, tireless nights and hardworking days to achieve this position and honor, yet what makes her heart quake on a day to day basis is the woman sitting across from her at the very moment. 

Kyoshi spoke up again, “What was it you wanted to tell me earlier today?” Rangi nearly choked on her tea, and spilled some onto her clothes, “Spirits of the Islands!” She let out as Kyoshi immediately placed her tea onto the table and got up. She got a wet rag and bent down in front of Rangi, wiping the affected area. Rangi tried her best to steady and limit her breath as she waited for the girl to finish. Kyoshi was so close, that if Rangi decided to let her composure slip, the other woman would feel how uneven and shaky her breaths were. She found it both delighting and torturing that Kyoshi was comfortable with being this close to her. Rangi tried to ignore the soft rubs of the wet rug against the fabric of her clothing as she looked at the ceiling. When Kyoshi was finally done, she got up and placed the rug in the tray. “It definitely won’t stain, but give them to me when you change into your nightwear. I’ll make sure they’re as good as new by tomorrow.” She picked up the tray and before heading out, looked down at Rangi, who was still sitting in the same position.   
“You still haven’t told me what you wanted to talk about earlier.”

“Oh. Um, right.” Rangi tried to play it cool as she thought quickly. “I just wanted to ask for an update.”

Kyoshi looked lost. Rangi clarified. “In regards to the local bullies.”

Kyoshi still didn’t seem convinced. “That’s what you wanted to ask me about?”

Rangi kept her composure. “Yes.” She stared Kyoshi down. “Regardless of whether or not you tell me the truth. I’ll be keeping my eye on you, blockhead.”

Rangi wasn’t lying to her. She’d been keeping tabs on the other woman’s errands since the incident, and didn’t plan on letting it go that easily. 

Kyoshi smiled, “Then I’m in good hands.” She muttered before leaving the room. 

Rangi let out a breath of relief as soon as the door shut and internally thanked Great Yangchen that Kyoshi was so bad at reading others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yangchen in the spirit world like "girl..."


	3. Birthday Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Part 3 :-)
> 
> Sorry for taking forever with this one. Writer's block is real...especially in these crazy times. I'm currently working on 5ish fics at once, and I'm thinking to possibly drag this out in a few chapters and start writing sequentially during moments in the novels where her pov had a lot of material to work with. We'll see. Anyways, hope you enjoy.

Rangi stood beside Yun as they both watched Hei- Ran shut the door, with her back faced to them. It was just the three of them in the little room. Rangi and Yun looked at each other in sheer horror. They knew they were about to get the scolding session of his era as avatar. 

Rangi knew she had no one to blame but herself. Yun had managed to slip out of Rangi’s sight during his stance training session. Rangi usually berated him about his posture and stared him down until she noticed not a single flaw, but this time she’d been...distracted. Yun’s birthday was coming up, and Kyoshi was in and out of the mansion, passing by the courtyard carrying gift after gift inside. She’d passed by them at least 30 times. At first, Rangi was certainly thrown off guard, she viewed the courtyard as one of her safe spots. A place where she could train and sweat her anguish away. But that had changed on this scorching day. Since it was so hot, Kyoshi was wearing less than her usual long-sleeved robe. Her arms were showing, and her sweaty freckled skin glistened in the sun, outlining her delicate muscles. Rangi wanted to combust. 

Yun was a smart one indeed. He'd noticed Rangi’s eyes continuously drifting away every time Kyoshi passed by and took it as his chance to ditch her to go get a head start on his gifts. Rangi and Yun had been instructed that Yun not open his gifts until his birthday ceremony in a few days, in front of all his guests. But Yun was too excited, too eager to see what he’d gotten. Rangi had her head slightly tilted to the side, as she lingered in Kyoshi’s direction. She began to daydream of scenarios where she’d walk up to her and interrupt her gift duty to pull her down, twirl her around, and kiss her. Rangi was interrupted by an unsure clearing of a throat. She snapped out of her thoughts and stood straight as she turned to the voice. It was a servant. “Mistress Rangi...I believe Yun went back to the gift room against Mistress Hei-Ran’s orders.” Rangi immediately cursed to herself, and without thanking the woman, fled inside.

She knew they probably thought ill of her, seeing that they were constantly there to witness the way she’d run around the mansion just to impress Kyoshi. She’d caught them giving her crazy looks several times as she’d marathon her way around the premise just to follow the tall servant girl. She also knew they thought ill of Kyoshi. Excluding her and treating her as less just because they were jealous. She’d even caught them gossiping about her once or twice and nearly singed their eyebrows off. Rangi despised such behavior and knew Kyoshi was too good for them anyway. She hardly showed them respect or manners, as they most certainly didn’t earn it from her. 

Rangi found Yun inside and nearly shrieked in horror. He had gotten through 7 gifts already, one from the Earth King himself. Before she could get a word in with him, the door slid open, and Hei- Ran stood there with the deadliest glare the two of them had ever seen. Yun gulped as Rangi braced herself for what she was about to undergo. 

Rangi and Yun stood side by side as Hei-Ran went on for minutes scolding them, not letting them interrupt her. When she was finally finished, Rangi spoke up. “I’m sorry mother, I take full responsibility. If I was more… focused, I could have stopped this mess from happening.” Hei-Ran narrowed her glare at her daughter. 

“Young lady, were you distracted during your duty? Well, this is certainly a first! What could possibly distract you from guiding and watching the most important person on the planet?” She kept her eyes on her daughter as she moved closer to her. 

Before Rangi could think of an answer, the door slid open, and in walked Kyoshi carrying more gifts. They all turned to face her. She awkwardly looked back at them as she placed the gifts down. Yun let out a snicker as he side-eyed Rangi, the firebender just aggressively blushed and looked away in anger. She was glad her mother was facing Kyoshi and not her. The headmistress certainly would have read between the lines, and figured it all out.

Kyoshi noticed the open gifts and gasped. “Yun!” She marched over to the tiny mess Yun made in the corner and examined the damage. “I can fix this.” She nodded her head. “Make them look untouched." 

Hei-Ran sighed as she thanked the spirits. “You are a _lifesaver_ , Kyoshi.” She turned to her daughter and Yun. “You two will assist Kyoshi with this mess and get her whatever she needs.” Without another word, she left the three of them alone. 

Rangi tried her best not to gawk at Kyoshi’s bare skin, still glistening with sweat. She made sweat look less messy and more elegant, like a mermaid who’d washed up onto the shore. 

“Rangi, I’m honestly surprised you let him get away with this.” Kyoshi let out.

Rangi’s face heated up, trying to come up with an excuse that didn’t expose what she had actually been doing. Yun just smirked, the avatar was having way too much fun with this. “I guess even the best of us have our weaknesses.” He winked at Rangi as she contemplated risking her honor and shooting a fireball at the Avatar. If looks could kill, there would be a newborn avatar in the fire nation about now. 

Kyoshi poked Rangi. “Lighten up.” She smiled, “You may have your weaknesses, but thankfully you have me to help cover them up.” She then looked back at the mess and got to work.

Rangi’s stomach felt sick. If only she’d known that that statement didn’t apply to her, since her weakness was very much so the freckled girl kneeled on the floor in front of her.

***

The party consisted mostly of stuck up Earth Kingdom officials. They filled the room with their green, gold, and white robes along with their conceited demeanor. Rangi wanted to scrunch her nose in disgust. She knew how they worked around attaining their power, completely and utterly honorless. Based on her nation's standards, they most certainly did not deserve the titles and status they bought their way to obtain. However, she had to play pretend along with them, for her duty to the Earth Avatar. 

She sat next to Yun as he went through his gifts, reading who they were from, pretending to be amazed and grateful, and thanking the sender in front of the entire room. Rangi gave it to him for being such a good actor, as well as having patience during such a tedious event. Rangi was glad that Kyoshi was serving the drinks and food, she’d at least have something to gaze at as she waited for the music and festivities to begin.

She watched as Kyoshi gracefully swooped in and out, picking up drinks off the tables and replacing them with filled ones instead. Rangi’s eyes grew in horror, however, when she saw Kyoshi accidentally spill a drink over the lap of none other than Lu Beifong. Rangi bit her lip from the inside. He angrily grabbed Kyoshi’s wrist and pulled her down so her face was at his level and said some words to her. Rangi couldn’t hear what he said to her, but based on the look on his face they didn’t seem friendly. Kyoshi merely nodded and turned to leave.

Rangi saw red. She knew better than to make a scene in front of the Avatar’s audience, but she surely wasn’t going to let anyone get away with disrespecting Kyoshi like that. She excused herself momentarily and made her way behind him as she stealthily burnt a heavily gold-laced and detailed area of the back of his robe, damaging the expensive work. She made her way to the kitchen to see Kyoshi rubbing her wrist as she waited for a new set of drinks to carry over.

Rangi approached her and kept her eye on her wrist as Kyoshi turned to meet her gaze. Kyoshi tried to hide her arm as she noticed Rangi but Rangi immediately spoke up. “Don’t you dare.” She said through gritted teeth. 

Kyoshi surrendered and brought her arm back up. “It’s just a little scratch.” She shyly let out. 

Rangi’s eyes widened when she noticed it was bleeding. “A little scratch?” She snapped as she immediately reached out to hold Kyoshi’s bleeding wrist. If she had any respect left for Earth Kingdom sages it had diminished in that very moment. She wanted to go back and do more than just damage his robes. 

Auntie Mui noticed Kyoshi’s wound as she supervised the kitchen and nearly squealed. “Oh, dear!” She examined it closely. “We need to get that patched up, you poor thing.” She immediately grabbed her elbow to escort her to the infirmary. Rangi started to follow them but Auntie Mui stopped her before they left the room. “You need to get back to the event, my dear. I don’t want to take on the Headmistress’s wrath when she starts looking for her daughter.”

Rangi frowned but knew she was right. She needed to get back to Yun. She gave Kyoshi one last glance and headed back to the ceremony. 

After the last few remaining gifts had been opened, everyone partook in a big feast. Kyoshi was back to serving the tables. She was placing food on Rangi’s table when a high pitched squeal came from the other side of the room. “My Rooooooobes!” Kyoshi looked up in confusion, then slowly turned her gaze to Rangi, who gave her a wink before picking up a dumpling with her chopsticks and eating it. 

Kyoshi managed a small smile and pulled her lips over her teeth to hide a laugh. They both went back to their business after that like nothing happened.

***

When the music finally started, she found herself roaming the party in search of Kyoshi. Rangi was an excellent dancer, she thrived in celebrations. It was a quality she’d most certainly not gotten from her mother, but her father instead. He taught her every single classic fire nation dance growing up. He would stress the importance of dancing, just as Hei-Ran would stress the importance of training. Tonight, she wanted to share that sentiment with Kyoshi. She was going to show her the Phoenix flight and Camelephant Strut. Rangi’s heart leapt with excitement at the mere thought. She passed by Hei-Ran in her search for Kyoshi and her mother pulled her to the side. “Have you seen Yun?” She asked.

“Mother, you know how he is at parties. I stay away because I don’t want to _see_ anything.” Rangi raised both eyebrows as Hei-Ran made a face. Rangi supposed that face was Hei-Ran being reminded of Kuruk. She’d heard of his antics back in the day, and it amazed her how much in common he’d had with Yun. The Avatar Cycle truly did manage to pick those who had similar tastes and practices. 

Hei-Ran dismissed her as she went to speak to some of the guests. Rangi continued inside and couldn’t find Kyoshi in the kitchen or anywhere nearby. She passed by the secluded garden in the middle of the grounds on her way back to the party and heard a familiar laugh. She turned her head so quickly her neck nearly snapped and saw Yun sitting at the pond with a girl. Rangi rolled her eyes and managed a smirk. _Her esteemed avatar_ , she thought. Ditching his birthday to spend it with….Rangi’s heart dropped.

It was Kyoshi sitting with him.

But they weren’t just sitting. They were swaying to the music together. They looked happy, like a couple even. Rangi couldn’t ignore the look of sheer bliss and romance on Kyoshi’s face. 

Rangi immediately turned and walked away before she could let out any sound of grief or let her inner feelings spill. She was being silly, wasn’t she? _No_ , she thought. She’d been looking forward to this for weeks. Controlling her emotions was growing more and more impossible by the second. She kept walking until she found herself in the stables. She ran over to PengPeng’s stall and found the bison huddled in the corner. Rangi fell into her and started letting her tears run against the animal’s fur. Pengpeng groaned in concern as Rangi drowned in her soft cries. 

After a few minutes had passed of just burying her head into the bison, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She nearly jumped as she saw a tall shadow looming over her. _Kelsang._

He had a look of concern on his face. “Is everything okay?” He asked in his warm, bellowing voice. 

Rangi tried to straighten her posture and clear her throat, but he saw right through her act, as well as the wet tears that still clung to her cheeks. 

Kelsang sat down across from her in meditation form. “Just like we’ve practiced.” He said calmly. 

Rangi mirrored his position as he guided her through meditation. Kelsang would visit a few times in her youth, and when he did, she’d join him and her father for meditation. She had no idea what she was doing, but she loved sitting and spending time with the two funny and kind adults rather than Hei-Ran and Jianzhu, who would often just discuss politics. When she moved to the mansion, Kelsang taught her the proper form and technique. It helped her a lot with managing stress, as well as dealing with the grief of recently losing her father. They'd spent quite a lot of time together meditating over the years. He'd also tell her funny stories of her parents from their youth. She appreciated it dearly, and since he reminded her so much of her father, when she was with him, she felt Junsik’s presence. 

After a few long minutes had passed, she managed to compose herself better, but couldn’t hold back her thoughts any longer. “Have you ever been in love with someone who loved someone else?” She blurted out with a sigh.

Kelsang managed a reminiscent yet sad smile. “Oh, little one, that’s a lot more common than you think.” 

Rangi’s shoulders slumped. “Well, I don’t like it. It hurts… so much. It’s getting in the way of duties at this point. I don’t know what to do.”

Kelsang tilted his head. “I know it may seem like it’s the end of the world. But feeling so much at once is better than not feeling anything at all. With the etiquette you’ve been raised with, it’s difficult for a passionate one like yourself to deal with such extreme emotions. Confront them. Does this person of your desires know of your affections?”

Rangi’s eyes widened. “No, and they never will.”

Kelsang spoke softly, “Well that doesn’t solve anything, now does it?”

Rangi slowly breathed in and held her breath. She weighed the pros and cons of what she was about to tell him. “Kelsang, it’s a _girl_.” She finally let out. 

He didn’t seem fazed or shocked at all by her revelation. It made sense to her. She did her research, and as accepting as they were in the fire nation towards same-sex attraction, the air nomads embraced it even more. “I understand your precautions since we’re currently residing in the Earth Kingdom, but that’s completely normal. We both come from cultures that stay true to that. Is she an Earth Native?” He asked.

Rangi nodded and looked down. Kelsang massaged his beard with his thumb and forefinger as he sat in deep thought. “I understand why you’d be hesitant to confront her and open up about these feelings.”

Rangi put her hands over her face. Kelsang spoke up, “but…” she peeked through her fingers and looked up to meet his eyes.

“You shouldn’t rule out that she doesn’t feel the same way.” His eyes gleamed, and she could have sworn he had read her mind at that moment and figured out who her affections were targeted at. “I’ve seen the way she looks at you, and I am her father after all. I know her better than anyone.” 

Rangi’s heart nearly stopped as she froze and couldn’t take her gaze off of his. Her eyes filled with tears again as he opened his arms. She leaped into them and cried into his yellow robes. “You have no idea how much that means to me.” She whispered. 

He patted her head and proceeded to tell her sweet stories from Kyoshi’s youth he hadn’t told anyone before. 

***

Rangi was sitting at a table, the music had subsided and people had begun to leave. She was munching on some of her favorite party sweets when she felt a soft hand on her back. Rangi shut her eyes, she already knew who it was. She immediately opened them and turned to the beautiful woman who was wearing nicer green robes than usual. Kyoshi smiled down at her. “I can get you a drink with that.” She let out. 

Rangi swallowed the food that was in her mouth and spoke. “Or you can sit down and join me. Most people are already leaving, you don’t need to serve anymore. Cleaning duty isn’t until later tonight.” Kyoshi joined Rangi on the chair next to her. She watched silently as Rangi finished the rest of her sweets. Rangi sat back and looked at the open spot where the band had been playing festive music before. “I wanted to teach you some dance moves, but I couldn’t find you earlier.” Rangi let out. She immediately regretted her words as she frowned and internally cursed for being so petty and reckless. 

Kyoshi saw her friend pouting and wanted nothing more than to cheer her up. “You can teach me now, can’t you?” 

Rangi looked over at her and scoffed. “With what music, stupid?” 

Kyoshi looked deep in thought as Rangi realized she was thinking of an alternative. Her eyebrows lifted as Kyoshi spoke up, “I think I can work with that.” She stood up and grabbed Rangi’s hand, “Come with me.” 

Kyoshi led her back into the mansion, down through the narrow corridors, and into the storage room. Rangi wanted to laugh at how habitually Kyoshi seemed to duck under the support beams when she needed to. They reached the room, and Kyoshi let go of her hand to go meander around the room. Rangi held the hand Kyoshi had been holding with her other hand, instantly missing the warmth of her touch. 

Rangi waited in the corner and watched as Kyoshi searched around the room, looking through shelves and going through crates. “Aha!” She heard the woman shout from under a shelf. “Here it is.” She raised her head to stand back up but hit the plank of wood above her. Rangi’s arms reached out in reflex as Kyoshi scratched her head, “I’m fine.” She let out under a breath.

Rangi crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, “I’ve heard that lie from a tall Earth Kingdom girl before.” Kyoshi ignored her as she stood up to her full height and started playing with the contraption in her hands. 

“I think this is how it works,” Kyoshi mumbled under her breath as the tiny wooden contraption started playing music from it. It wasn’t just any music, it was a lullaby Rangi recognized from her childhood. Rangi was taken aback, since the last time she had heard it her father was still alive. 

“It’s a lot slower than I had expected,” Rangi managed to let out. She realized she wouldn’t be able to teach her to phoenix flight to this. 

Kyoshi frowned, “You don’t approve?” She looked down at the contraption in her hands. “I guess I could-”

“No!” Rangi quickly interrupted, “It’ll do.” She cleared her throat and rubbed her arm. “I guess we could try a different kind of dance.” She let out an awkward laugh as she moved closer to Kyoshi. Kyoshi just placed the contraption on the shelf beside them and looked down at Rangi as the music played. The firebender held Kyoshi’s hands and guided them to her shoulders. She then moved her own hands around Kyoshi’s waist and started swaying to the music. “Follow my lead.” Kyoshi copied Rangi’s movements as they both swayed back and forth to the music.

Rangi mustered the courage to look up at Kyoshi’s face instead of at her feet. She instantly regretted it, as it made her heart fall into a pile of ribbons. Kyoshi was already gazing down at her, with a sweet and loving look on her face. Rangi immediately looked back down and moved a bit closer, hiding the blush on her face. Her parents used to dance like this when she was younger, and they would look at each other that same way. She couldn’t handle that exact kind of look from the prettiest and most special woman she’d ever laid her eyes upon. Especially when she knew deep down it couldn’t possibly mean anything. Kyoshi was simply like that. Too kind, too special, too sweet to any and every person who crossed paths with her. Rangi was already distracted enough by the woman and knew feeding into her delusions would only make the situation worse. She couldn’t afford to dig herself further into a hole, not when she had a duty to the avatar. 

“You wanna know a secret?” Kyoshi broke the silence, interrupting Rangi’s thoughts. Her words tickled Rangi’s hair, making her realize how close Kyoshi was to her. 

“Hm.” Rangi let out as she took in their closeness, and the warmth in the pit of her stomach grew.

“Today’s my birthday as well.” Rangi looked up to see Kyoshi’s eyes on her. The firebender immediately pulled away.

“What?” Rangi was in disbelief. “I’ve known you for nearly two years and you’re just now telling me this.” She couldn’t help but feel hurt.

Kyoshi shrugged and wrapped her arms around herself. “It’s not a big deal... I never wanted to take the spotlight away from Yun.” 

Rangi became even more upset, more so at herself, for never thinking to ask Kyoshi about the day she was born. She only knew they were the same age. “Kyoshi, you do realize you deserve good things too, right? Just because you’re not the avatar doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to celebrate being born!” Rangi started pacing back and forth. The music on the contraption finally stopped. 

“I don’t care much for celebrations. I’m just happy to be here with you.” Rangi paused her sharp movements and froze. Her insides filled with warmth and her stomach drooped with butterflies as she put the two and two together.

Kyoshi only told _her_ about this revelation. No one else but her. Not even Yun. And she was happy to be spending the day she was born with her and only her. A scenario that Rangi ideally viewed as a big celebration, Kyoshi was merely happy to spend it in a tiny storage room with her. 

Rangi internally scolded herself and did what she should have done the moment Kyoshi revealed the news to her. She went over to Kyoshi and closed the space in between them, catching Kyoshi off guard. She hugged her close and pressed tightly against her chest. “Happy Birthday Kyoshi.” She felt Kyoshi’s arms hug her back and pull her in closer. Rangi quietly sighed in satisfaction.

She wanted to melt into the hug. Kyoshi was so special to her, she was so good. Rangi had grown up being surrounded by snakes at the academy. Friends who’d stabbed her in the back and classmates who spread rumors about her from afar, alienating her more and more every day. Meeting a girl her age like Kyoshi was a game-changer. At first, Rangi had surely been suspicious of the Earth Kingdom girl. _How can someone be so kind?_ She’d ask herself after every interaction with the girl. However, it didn’t take her too long to figure out that she was truly as pure and as good as she’d suspected. There weren’t any ulterior motives to her loving smile, or crookedness lying behind her kind eyes. She was by all means true, selfless, and kind-hearted. 

Rangi took in every second of the hug as she let Kyoshi’s sweet scent fill her lungs and soft robes press against her cheek. She knew exactly what she’d be doing first thing tomorrow morning... picking a bouquet of flowers for Kyoshi.


End file.
